Situated on 22 acres on the Hamakua Coast of the Big Island of Hawaii in Papaaloa is Pali Nana Farms. This sustainable farm is home to bunnies, miniature donkeys, cattle, and horses. It also produces honey, chocolate, and various exotic fruits. When visiting this beautiful location, you can enjoy hayrides, horseback rides, agritourism, demonstrations on beekeeping and chocolate making, and soon-to-come helicopter rides. You can purchase Pali Nana Farms craft chocolate on their website, from their offerings in Papaaloa Country Store on the Big Island and Island Naturals, or on-site when visiting the farm for yourself. Craft chocolate for those in the industry is known as chocolate made with whole beans from scratch by one company. In addition to their specialty of craft chocolate, exotic fruit, horseback, and hayrides, Pali Nana Farms also offers a tasting room, a petting zoo, and a souvenir shop on site.
This picturesque locale is owned by the Minter family who moved to the Big Island in 2020 to develop the farm. Owner Ron Winter works part-time as an anesthesiologist at Hilo Medical Center. Owner Nadia Minter is the business manager for the farm and a photographer. The Minter family is working hard to expand Pali Nana Farms to offer even more in the future. They recently completed a new guest center that will allow even more opportunities for demonstration. However, there are some notable ways to enjoy the farm even now as they work to expand their reach.
For example, the Horse Tour at Pali Nana Farms is a guest favorite. This horseback riding experience lasts 90 minutes and includes beautiful views of the ocean as well as a trip through the eucalyptus forest. The horses at Pali Nana Farms are well-trained and gentle, making this an ideal experience for even a horse riding novice. All tack is cleaned and inspected after every ride and all the horses are kept clean and in optimal health. The horseback riding tour also includes a demonstration on the lanai that will show guests what it takes to transform a chocolate bean into a bar. Finally, guests will be fed a made-to-order wood-fired pizza lunch with a non-alcoholic beverage as part of their tour.
If horses just aren’t your forte, you can instead choose the Grand Tour at Pali Nana Farms. This experience includes an in-depth walking tour of 90-minutes, which involves viewing six types of Dragon fruit as well as figs, lychee, abiu, and coffee. After this, you will be given the opportunity to plant cacao Keiki or seedlings and view various animals throughout the farm. All farm grand tour guests will also get to experience a chocolate-making and tasting demonstration, which includes revealing the step-by-step process of turning the chocolate bean into a bar. Similarly to the other tour, guests will be fed a wood-fired pizza that is made to order for lunch along with a non-alcoholic beverage.
An exciting upcoming tour that isn’t available just yet but is in the works is the Helicopter Tour at Pali Nana Farms. This experience is designed for four people or fewer to take a two-hour ride, beginning at the Hilo airport. They will begin by flying above Volcano National Park then move up the Hamakua coast and then land at Pali Nana Farms. They will then get to experience the farm along with a pizza lunch and non-alcoholic beverages.
The way the tours are designed means the experience is broken up into different sections with different purposes. However, the overall time frame you should allow for a visit to the farm, giving you a chance to walk the farm or access it via a hayride, along with enjoying a chocolate demonstration and tasting and allowing for time to enjoy your delicious lunch will be around three hours.
Insider Tips:
-There is ample on-site parking available at Pali Nana Farms.
-The farm is wheelchair accessible, and all farm activities are kid friendly.
-The souvenir shop will include craft chocolate along with seasonal fruit, eggs, beef, and local artisan artwork and crafts.